The other day, me and my co-worker were having a little debate on the products which were completely made in India and ended up looking it up on Google. The revelation that Baggit, one of the leading brands globally in women’s accessories was completely Indian left me astonished. As I dived a little deep into it, I discovered Nina Lekhi, the woman behind Baggit and her incredible journey.
From a very young age, Nina Lekhi was passionate about painting, which even led her to take up a diploma foundation art course at Sophia’s. But after failing in her first year, she decided to do two different courses that eventually helped Nina onto the boat that led her towards her destiny. While working at Amarson’s shop floor during her college days, she picked interest in learning the ropes. The job gave her a sense of satisfaction and ownership while simultaneously her endorphins were rushing with the thrill of creating something new. This excitement and enthusiasm ultimately prompted her way towards entrepreneurship
“No woman in our family had ever worked before, but my mother was extremely encouraging. I think Baggit is proof that failure is the stepping stone to success,” says Nina.
Realizing that fashionable handbags were a rarity in India, she finally gave in to her passion to design bags that one could cradle with pride. She was only 18 when it was time to put her skill to use to progress as an entrepreneur.
“I realized then that T-shirts with simple slogans were available but we did not have funky and contemporary bags to buy in India. So I started designing bags to fill that gap, at first, for the store I worked at, which was the turning point for me,” she recalls. To craft bags with their own unique “attitudes and personalities”, she started exploring eco-friendly materials, which not only differentiated Baggit from other brands but also catapulted it to stardom in the long run.
“That was my first founding lesson in marketing. i.e., for a brand to be successful and be driven by passion, the founder needs to believe and own it completely!” she says.
She started off with one bag, painstakingly selling them herself at exhibitions, and supplied them exclusively to a few retail stores in her initial years. After 25 long years, Baggit grew substantially and currently sells at over a thousand 1,000 outlets. However, she also hit the rock bottom several times in her journey, one among them being losing more than 100 percent of the money invested when she attempted to open her first store and it was officially a “bags”-office flop. But that did not stop her from being one of the leading brands in selling handbags 25 years later!
Many brands originating out of India source from China, whereas Baggit continues to design and manufacture its entire product portfolio in India. This is in line with the company’s philosophy of “Make in India” while keeping in mind the sensibilities of the Indian consumer.
Being a ‘Made in India’ brand Baggit products acquire a distinct touch that allows their products to stand out. It is always at the crest of their priorities to deliver quality bags that are vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable. This sense of awareness made Baggit the recipient of the PETA Approved Vegan Fashion Award in 2013 and Karmayogini Award in 2012.
Currently, Nina is focusing on creating more avenues by implementing new initiatives for the employment of people in Katarkhadak, Pune, a small village which she had adopted a few years back.
” I have a few key objectives that I wish to attain in 2020. I would like to start by having a balanced gender ratio at Baggit. We have already taken a step in this direction and we have started on-boarding capable women to work under different domains. We plan to create abundance and opportunities for all the employees at Baggit” adds Nina.
With no further need to talk about the quality of Baggit products, go to the store right away and gift all the special women in your life with some beautiful handbags this Women’s Day!
